Toy gun with slidable chamber



Oct. 6, 1964 s. J. BoNAzzA 3,151,411

Toy GUN WITH SLIDABLE CHAMBER Filed Sepp. 19, 1962 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,151,411 TOY GUN WITH SLIDABLE CHAMBER Saverio Jacobo Bonazza, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,805 10 Claims. (Cl. 42-55) This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy gun having a safety trigger, the principal object of the invention being to provide a toy of this kind that will prevent the escaping of gases and sparks developed at the moment of the explosion through the bore or priming hole ofthe gun, by means of a safety device thus protecting the improvised gunner. To this end the said safety device comprises a powder chamber slidable against resilient means housed inside the gun body which upon engagement with the breech may cause the recoil thereof; the safety device consisting in that the priming hole is formed by two lengths drilled through the barrel and the said slidable chamber so that in order to keep these lengths aligned a solid fuse capable of overcoming the tension of the said resilient means has to be inserted. The report is produced by means of a plug or plastic projectile blocking the mouth of the gun. These features as well as others appearing in this specification will be discussed in detail hereinafter.

As is well known there are a great many toy guns of numerous forms and models. Many of them are fancy models. created by the manufacturers imagination inspired by the more or less realistic shapes of real armament and are simply static reproductions. Others are more highly developed and have spring mechanisms, discharging small shells or throwing bundles of flames produced by flint. However, so far as is known no toy gun has been produced that will permit real tiring with explosive charges and the consequent report while being at the same time completely harmless to the user. One of the main ditliculties met with in various attempts is the disturbance caused by the priming hole or flash-hole since in small models the diameter of the vent relative to the calibre of the bore is rather signicant and a considerable part of the expansive power of the powder with the consequent llame or sparks escapes through the said vent with some danger to the gunner.

The device according to the invention is ideally suited to avoid the said difl'iculties, solving the problem by means of a slidable chamber which prevents the escape of gases and sparks by interrupting the length of the vent and sealing ofi the orifice. As already pointed out above the recoil of the chamber makes the model more realistic by assimilating its operation to that of real guns. One important particular, bearing in mind the users safety, is that the length of the barrel has been exactly calculated so as to hold the explosive charge and the plug blocking the mouth of the gun, provided exclusively in order to increase the volume of the report; this plug or projectile, which may be made of soft, solid or hollow plastic (polyethylene) serves as a shell that can be fired over a distance of from 2 to 3 metres with sufficient aim to hit small targets at these distances or even longer ones. Should the user try to insert a metal projectile or the like, the lack of space for the plug would not allow a perfect seal so that much of the energy could escape through the gap about the pellet or ball and by losing itself in the ambient air would not allow the ball to gather suilicient speed or momentum to become an offensive weapon.

So that the invention may be clearly understood and practised in its basic idea, a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the same will now be given, in which embodiment the barrel has been made according to an old miniaturized model, with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, it being understood that the description and the showings are merely illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. l is a sectional side view of an old artillery piece, with the chamber slid against the safety return spring and held in tiring position by means of a solid fuse., the gun being duly charged and its mouth plugged by means of a plug inserted with sorne pressure.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but showing the precise moment when the outer portion of the flash-hole or vent of the gun has been stopped olf by the displacement of the safety chamber by the combustion and explosion of the portion of the fuse inside the camber. This sequence takes place in extremely short fractions of a second, hardly noticeable.

FlG. 3 shows a modified embodiment in which the chamber is pushed towards the breach by resilient means causing the recoil of the gun.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the gun to be described, made according to a primitive old model.

Throughout the drawings the same reference numbers and letters indicate like or corresponding members or parts.

Essentially and in the particular instance shown in FIG. 1 the present invention comprises an artillery piece made up by a breech 1 from whose high portion there extends the curved surface 2 terminating in the knob 3. The breech is completely closed and the body of the gun is drilled on one side only, constituting the barrel 4. The end of the barrel is shaped according to an old model vith a curved prolile that strengthened the mouth of the real gun and that used to wear the front sight or aiming point, the other sight being provided on the aforementioned high portion of the breech. The rear part of the gun houses an expansion spring 5 pushing towards the mouth of the gun an insertable slidable chamber 6 and in order to keep this chamber from rotating it may be provided with various devices for annulling this tendency. One of such devices is constituted by a screw 7 engaged in a guideway 8 cut in the barrel, such as shown in FlG. l, or a guideway 8 in the slidable chamber 6 when the screw 7' is screwed into the barrel, as shown in FlG. 3. This arangement serves to misalign completely the two portions or lengths 9 and 10 which make up the drill hole or vent, thus stopping up completely the vent; however when the chamber' slides axially its portion of the vent will register with the portion of the vent in the barrel.

In order to insert the fuse the end of the chamber projecting from the mouth of the gun must be pressed, overcoming the tension of spring 5 until the portions 9 and 1() forming the uninterrupted vent register whereupon the fuse 11 may be inserted. In order to keep the safety device describcd assembled the fuse must have some strength or solidity enabling it to resist the tension of spring 5. As will be seen in the drawings the chamber 6 slides inside the bore of the gun. The plug 12 is inserted in the chamber with some pressure, or an explosive charge not shown in the drawings may be inserted in the said chamber the latter being then stopped up by the said plug in order to enhance the sound effect of the expansive wave. FIG. 2 illustrates the exact moment when the fuse, consumed up to the vent, permits the sliding movement of the chamber that stops up the vent and seals the chamber so that the rest of the fuse within the chamber causes the explosion.

The whole of the outer body of the gun remains stationary.

In a modified embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 the last portion of the breech comprises a sleeve 13 slidable in the hollow interior of a first body 14. This sleeve 13 is secured to a rod 15 which terminates in the chamber 16 after passing through an apertured partition 17. This partition separates inwardly the rst body 14 from the barrel 18. Resilient means shown as n spiral expansion spring 19 surround rod 1S and are enclosed in the first body 14. This spring pushes the sleeve 13 out- Wards, bearing against the latter and the partition 17. Consequently the two portions 9' and 1li of the vent are out of registry and in order to insert the fuse it is necessary to push the knob 3' overcoming the tension of the spring 19 until the curved surface 2' abuts the high portion of the breech 1. Thus the two portions 9 and 10 register forming an uninterrupted vent into which the fuse may be inserted, In a further modification the chamber is integral with the barrel and the whole is slidable in the front part of the first body.

In these embodiments, in order to avoid the rotation of the chamber in the barrel, besides the already mentioned devices the same results may be obtained by providing a screw or small stop on the movable member, either the insertable chamber or the barrel, while the guidcway is provided in the inner wall of the barrel. This arrangement has the advantage of not being visible from the outside, improving the finishing. Another modification would be to give the rod 15 and the hole by which it passes through the partition 17 a certain shape forcing these members to lie in a determined position, c g. a straight length or a polygonal shape. e.g. a square one.

The toy is completed by placing the gun on its carriage mount 20 by means of its trunnions 21 secured in clamps 22 which permit the gun to be inclined in various angles to take aim. The gun carriage mounted on two wheels 23 has at its sides the usual fittings for this kind of artillery. In FIG. 4 a receptacle 24 and a ramrod 2S are shown.

In another possible modification the trigger device is applied directly to the barrel and this modified embodiment is characterized in that the vent is provided directly in a reduced diameter portion of the rear part of the barrel and is stopped up when upon the burning of the solid fuse the said reduced diameter portion hides inside the gun body when the barrel is being pushed by the tension of the spring. In this embodiment the barrel recoils when the discharge takes place, thus stopping up the vent. This embodiment may be simplied dividing in two the first body and making in the breech portion a housing into which a cylindrical projection of reduced diameter, formed in the front part of the gun, is inserted with a slight play permitting its easy sliding movement. This cylindrical projection contains the vent designed to receive the solid fuse. The curved surface (2 or 2') continues inside the breach in the form of a threaded bolt and passes through a cavity permitting as above the accommodation of an expansion spring, and is then screwed into the said cylindrical projection. When the explosion has taken piace the cylindrical projection hides in the housing provided in the breech thus stopping up the vent and causing a tight seal.

The basic mechanism of the invention may be applied to embodiments other than the mentioned ones, comprising amongst others the most recent breech-loading guns. This type of gun has an opening through which the shell and the explosive charge may be introduced and the breechblock and safety device with its corresponding vent, which operates sideways to the bore of the gun and is accessible from the outside by means of a handle which moves along a groove. In order to load the gun this handle is moved sideways and drives against an expansion spring a plunger plugging the opening; the charge is introduced, the plunger is permitted to move until the vent is opposite the loading opening and then the solid fuse is inserted, thus locking the plunger. When fuse is suliiciently burnt down the plunger continues moving and stops up the vent and immediately afterwards the explosion take place.

ln an interesting modiiied embodiment the safety trigger mechanism may be hingedly mounted on a support so as to discharge like a. mortar in various angles up to and including a vertical line. Thus the device may be mcd to launch rockets, gliders and aeroplanes. In one such embodiment used to launch a roel-:ct missile the latter is provided with a fuse to lire its own propulsive charge. This device gives the missile an initial acceleration and the very flame ofthe explosion lights the rockets fuse which previously has been connected to the explosive charge contained in thc device. Thus the initial speed impressed on the rocket increases the height ol. its selfpropelled flight.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings it will be clearly seen that this invention as applied to toys and generally to models made to scale provides novel features. particularly by the realistic eliect of the discharge which causes the usual recoil in this kind of piece of ordnance as Well as a loud report, while at the same time the users are protected by the safety members which make up the assembly. The arrangement of the vent in two relatively slidable portions produces a valve efleet that stops up the flash-hole preventing the escape of gases and sparks, as already explained. On the other hand, as to its appearance, the gun may be made to look as desired like an old cannon or a modern piece of ordnance or a fancy gun and may be artistically finished as an object of art recalling historic epochs and pleasing by the beauty of its design.

The fuse used is compounded according to the following formula:

Percent, approx.

Potassium chlorate 40 Smokeless powder 35 Carbon black 15 Antimony sulphide 5 Red potassium ferrocyanide 5 Obviously the proportions of the components may vary and what is desired is to obtain a fuse sulliciently solid to lock the mechanism of the gun. The fuse is made by mixing the iineiy divided components in acetone until a pasty mass is formed which is then extruded into fuses.

Naturally, when performing this invention certain altcrations, modifications and changes may be made in some structural details and in the arrangement and shape of the gun described without departing from the basic principles and the scope of the invention as clearly specilied in the following claims.

Having now particularly described and ascertained my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, l declare that what I claim is:

l. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a gun body member and a chamber member disposed within said body member and each having a small aperture therein for receiving a fuse, said body and chamber members being movable relative to one another between a iirst relative position wherein said apertures are in alignment and a second relative position wherein said apertures are out of alignment, spring means for urging said members toward said second relative position, said members being manually movable to said rst relative position, and a solid fuse adapted to be inserted into the two aligned apertures when said body and chamber members are in said first relative position so as to extend from the exterior of said body member to the interior of said chamber member and thereby hold said members in said first relative position against said spring force whereby upon burning of said fuse said members will be moved by said spring to said second relative position and the burning of the fuse portion Within said chamber will produce a report.

2. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a gun body member and an open-ended chamber member disposed within said body member and each having a small aperture therein for receiving a fuse, said body and chamber members being movable relative to one another between a first relative position wherein said apertures are in alignment and a second relative position wherein said apertures are out of alignment, spring means for urging said members toward said second relative position, said members being manually movable to said first relative position, a plug adapted to be inserted into said chamber to close the open end thereof, and a solid fuse adapted to be inserted into the two aligned apertures when said body and chamber members are in said first relative position so as to extend from the exterior of said body member to the interior of said chamber member and thereby hold said members in said first relative position against said spring force whereby upon burning of said fuse said members will be moved by said spring to said second relative position and the burning of the fuse portion within said chamber will produce a report and cause said plug to be propelled from said chamber.

3. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a gun body having a longitudinal axis, a chamber member disposed within said body member, said body and chamber members each having a small aperture therein for receiving a fuse, and said body and chamber members being movable relative to one another in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis between a first relative position wherein said apertures are in alignment and a second relative position wherein said apertures are out of alignment, spring means for urging said members toward said second relative position, said members being manually movable to said first relative position, and a solid fuse adapted to be inserted into the two aligned apertures when said body and chamber members are in said first relative position so as to extend from the exterior of said body member to the interior of said chamber member and thereby hold said members in said first relative position against said spring force whereby upon burning of said fuse said members will be moved axially by said spring to said second relative position and the burning of the fuse portion within said chamber will produce a report.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein guide means is provided to prevent rotation of said body and chamber members when they are moved axially relative to one another.

5. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a gun body member, a chamber member disposed within said body, said body and chamber members each having a small aperture therein for receiving a fuse, said chamber member being movabie within said body member to a first position wherein said apertures are in alignment and a second position wherein said apertures are out of alignment, spring means for urging said chamber member toward said second position, said chamber member being manually movable to said first position, and a solid fuse adapted to be inserted into the two aligned apertures when said chamber member is in said first position so as to extend from the exterior of said body member to the interior of said chamber member and thereby hold said chamber member in said first position against said spring force whereby upon burning of said fuse said chamber member will be moved by said spring to said second position and the burning of the fuse portion within said chamber will produce a report.

6. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a gun body having a longtitudinal axis, a chamber member disposed within said body, said body and chamber members each having a small aperture generally transverse to said axis for receiving a fuse, said chamber member being axially slidable within said body member between a first position wherein said apertures are in alignment and a second position wherein said apertures are out of alignment, spring means for urging said chamber toward said second position, said chamber member being manually slidable axially to said first position, and a solid fuse adapted to be inserted into the two aligned apertures when said chamber member is in said first position so as to extend from the exterior of said body member to the interior of said chamber member and thereby hold said chamber member in said first axial position against said spring force whereby upon burning of said fuse said chamber member will be moved by said spring to said second axial position and the burning of the fuse portion within said chamber will produce a report.

7. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a gun body having a longitudinal axis, a chamber open at its forward end and disposed within said body, said body and chamber member each having a small aperture generally transverse to said axis for receiving a fuse, said chamber member being axially slidable within said body member between a first position wherein said apertures are in alignment and a second position wherein said apertures are out of alignment, spring means for urging said chamber toward said second position, said chamber member being manually slidable axially to said first position, a plug adapted to be inserted into the forward end of said chamber to close the open end thereof, and a solid fuse adapted to be inserted into the two aligned apertures when said chamber member is in said rst position so as to extend from the exterior of said body member to the interior of said chamber member and thereby hold said chamber member in said first axial position against said spring force whereby upon burning of said fuse said chamber member will be moved by said spring to said second axial position and the burning of the fuse portion within said chamber will produce a report and cause said plug to be propelled from the forward end of said chamber.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein guide means is provided to prevent rotation of said chamber member within said body member and also to limit the axial movement of said chamber member within said body member.

9. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a generally cylindrical gun barrel member having an axial bore therein, a generally tubular chamber member closed at its rear end and open at its forward end and disposed within said bore, said barrel and chamber members each having a small aperture generally transverse to the axis of said bore for receiving a fuse, said chamber member being axially slidable within said barrel between a first position wherein said apertures are in alignment and a second position wherein said apertures are out of alignment, spring means disposed within said barrel rearwardly of said chamber for urging said chamber toward said second position, said chamber member being manually slidable axially to said first position, a plug adapted to be inserted into the forward end of said chamber to close the open end thereof, and a solid fuse adapted to be inserted into the two aligned apertures when said chamber member is in said first position so as to extend from the exterior of said barrel member to the interior of said chamber member and thereby hold said chamber member in said first axial position against said spring force whereby upon burning of said fuse said chamber member will be moved by said spring to said second axial position and the burning of the fuse portion within said chamber will produce a report and cause said plug to be propelled from the forward end of said chamber.

l0. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a generally cylindrical gun barrel member having an axial bore therein, a generally tubular chamber member closed at its rear end and open at its forward end and disposed within said bore, said barrel and chamber members each having a small aperture generally transverse to the axis of said bore for receiving a fuse, said chamber member being axially slidable within said barrel between a first rearward position wherein said apertures are in alignment and the open forward end of said chamber is approximately flush with the end of said barrel and a second forward position wherein said apertures are out of alignment and the forward end of said chamber projects forwardly from the end of said barrel, guide means for preventing rotation of said chamber within said barrel, spring means disposed within said barrel rearwardly of said chamber for urging said chamber toward said second forward position, said chamber member being manually slidable axially to said first rearward position, a plug adapted to be inserted into the forward end of said chamber to close the open end thereof, and a solid fuse adapted to be inserted into the two aligned apertures when said chamber member is in said first rearward position so as to extend from g the exterior of said barrel member 'lo the interior of said chamber member and thereby hold said chamber member in said first rearward axial position against said spring force whereby upon burning of said fuse said chamber member will be moved by said spring to said second orward axial position and the burning of the fuse portion within said chamber will produce a report and cause said plug lo be propeiled from the forward end of said chamber.

No references cited. 

1. A TOY GUN COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A GUN BODY MEMBER AND A CHAMBER MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER AND EACH HAVING A SMALL APERTURE THEREIN FOR RECEIVING A FUSE, SAID BODY AND CHAMBER MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER BETWEEN A FIRST RELATIVE POSITION WHEREIN SAID APERTURES ARE IN ALIGNMENT AND A SECOND RELATIVE POSITION WHEREIN SAID APERTURES ARE OUT OF ALIGNMENT, SPRING MEANS FOR URGING SAID MEMBERS TOWARD SAID SECOND RELATIVE POSITION, SAID MEMBERS BEING MANUALLY MOVABLE TO SAID FIRST RELATIVE POSITION, AND A SOLID FUSE ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED INTO THE TWO ALIGNED APERTURES WHEN SAID BODY AND CHAMBER MEMBERS ARE IN SAID FIRST RELATIVE POSITION SO AS TO EXTEND FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER MEMBER AND THEREBY HOLD SAID MEMBERS IN SAID FIRST RELATIVE POSITION AGAINST SAID SPRING FORCE WHEREBY UPON BURNING OF SAID FUSE SAID MEMBERS WILL BE MOVED BY SAID SPRING TO SAID SECOND RELATIVE POSITION AND THE BURNING OF THE FUSE PORTION WITHIN SAID CHAMBER WILL PRODUCE A REPORT. 